Former Klitschko opponent arrested in murder case

Los Angeles detectives have announced the arrest of former professional boxer Exum Speight in connection with the 1987 murder of his manager Douglas Stumler, following a breakthrough in DNA evidence.

Stumler was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment on March 31, 1987 and while Speight was originally identified as a suspect by LA police, he was never charged.

The American was free to continue his professional boxing career, where nine years later he was knocked out by current heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko in the second round of their November 1996 bout in Austria. It was only the second professional fight of Klitschko's career.

However, following the recent re-examination of DNA evidence under a grant issued by the National Institute of Justice's 'Solving Cold Cases with DNA' program, LAPD detectives issued a warrant of arrest for Speight after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the scene.

Speight, 50, was taken into custody by a joint LAPD-FBI task force one day after an arrest warrant was filed for Stumler's murder. He is due to appear in court on Thursday.

Speight retired from boxing in 2001 having lost 39 of his 50 professional fights.